Problems,Problems

DrinkofWtr · Kitten Joined: 12 Apr 2008 Posts: 142

Hi Everyone. It has been a little while since I have had a chance to talk online to my We Have Lupus friends. To update, I have been under extreme pressure lately. Boyfriend got laid off his welding job, found another job and tore his left bicep, by accident, first day on the new
job. He goes to the orthopedic Dr. today. I am hoping for a favorable outcome, as far as this type of injury goes.

Still haven't been able to make the train ride to Oceanside. Decided to attempt working for a friend for a little while this summer. But friend keeps making comments about how bad off I am physically. He doesn't need to tell me that. Believe me, I already know.

Dr. has been trying to get my blood pressure under control. It has been high for awhile and the meds. made me really sick. I think I finally have one blood pressure medicine that works and so far(cross my fingers) I haven't had any bad side effects from it. Also, Dr. thinks I have a skin cancer on my back and I will find out more about this tomorrow. He, also, tried giving me Paxil for fibromyalgia pain, but couldn't tolerate the medicine.

I could write a soap opera with all that has been going on lately. All I want is for things to slow down a bit, so I can have some peace. All this stress is a killer.

KathyW1958 · Tiger Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 810

Hi Drink
It sure sounds like you have an awful lot happening with you lately. I hope that it all gets better. Stress is really bad for any autoimmune disorder. I hope that you can get yourself out of this stress before it really causes damage. I am going to pray that all gets better for you really soon.

Hugs,
Kathy
_________________
Lupus for many years. Like most of my life. Sjogrens that started at 35 and Scoliosis, Spinal Stenosis, Degenerative Disc Disease, Osteo-Arthritis of the spine, Ankylosing Spondilitis, Periferal Neuropathy, mild CP and now just recently diagnosed with PA. I had a disc replaced in December of 2007.

Medications:
Plaquenil, Sulindac, Imuran, Celiac diet, Tramadol and B12 shot once a month.

sits_inthe_corner · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 4:26 pm Post subject:

Hugss DrinkofWtr

Sorry to hear you're going through the ringer. Just do what ya can and turn the rest over to a higher power. You cant carry the full load of your problems so let the fates take care of some of it.

Above all try to find something to give you and your sweety a good giggle. Humor is a great healer, don't let it slide away from you.

Keep us posted on how you're doing ... gentle hugs.
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Oh look ... a cookie

mnjodette · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:35 pm Post subject:

DrinkofWtr, I'm sorry you're having such a hard time - and that your boyfriend got hurt. Stress is such an enemy - I hope you find some of that peace you're wishing for.

Jody
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"Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine." Lord Byron

Saysusie · Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 10:17 am Post subject:

Hi Drinkofwater;
We have missed you Sad

I am so sorry that you are under this tremendous amount of stress.
Paxil is not the only medication that can be used for Fibromyalgia. Most doctors will prescribe several different meds to deal with several issues of FM.

Muscle Relaxants:
Muscle relaxants can decrease pain in fibromyalgia. Medicines in this family include Flexeril (this is what I take - it also helps me with sleep-so it is best to take these at night), Soma, Skelaxin, and Robaxin. The most common side effect is drowsiness, although Soma and Skelaxin cause less of it. I have found that muscle relaxants do not really decrease muscle spasms or truly “relax” muscles, because the painful area still has spasms. Rather, the muscle relaxers appears to help by a central neurologic mechanism that reduces muscle pain. As I mentioned, if drowsiness is a side effect, the medicine should only be taken in the evening so it doesn’t interfere with your job, your driving or your concentration. Flexeril is the most popular medicine for evening. Although it is a muscle relaxant, it is very similar to amitriptyline in structure and effect, hence the benefits.

Anti-Anxiety Medicines:
Anxiety is a common problem in fibromyalgia and it definitely contributes to pain, muscle tension, and irritability. It can make depression and insomnia worse. Various medicines including, antidepressants and muscle relaxants, can treat anxiety. Benzodiazepines such as Klonopin, Ativan, and Xanax, are some of the commonly used medicines. These medicines also cause sedation and thus, they can also help to improve sleep. Possible side effects include depression and decreased memory (weird huh?). Downside; sometimes it is hard to determine whether the symptoms are due to fibromyalgia or if they are side effects of medication.

Pregabalin (Lyrica):
This is a relatively new medication for Fibromyalgia which has shown promise in treating multiple symtpoms ( pain and associated symptoms such as sleep and fatigue).
Pregabalin is an anti-seizure drug, also called an anti-convulsant. It works by slowing down brain impulses that cause seizures. Pregabalin also affects brain chemicals that send pain signals across the central nervous system. Pregabalin is one of several anticonvulsants within the class of agents that promote gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), or gabaminergic agents, that are being used to treat neuropathic pain of various types, such as fibromyalgia.
The most common adverse events that were considered treatment-related during the an open-label trial period were dizziness (36%) and somnolence (22%). In the double-blind phase, the most common adverse events that exceeded placebo were sinusitis (5% of pregabalin-treated patients vs 3% of placebo-treated patients) and arthralgia and anxiety (each occurred in 5% of pregabalin-treated patients vs 2% of placebo-treated patients).

Ultracet (tramadol hydrochloride/ acetaminophen):
This medicine has also shown promise in reducing Fibromyalgia pain. Although Ultracet has received some exposure in the medical industry, not all doctors know about it. A lot of Lupus patients actually have to educate their doctor about Ultracet.
ULTRACET is indicated for the short-term (five days or less) management of acute pain. ULTRACET is a centrally acting analgesic that controls pain via different mechanisms of action than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the most commonly used pain medications.
ULTRACET is not an NSAID, and is not associated with potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal ulcers or bleeding that can occur with NSAIDs and the newer COX-2 NSAIDs. In addition, ULTRACET does not compromise the efficacy of certain antihypertensive agents, while NSAIDs and COX-2 NSAIDs may. ULTRACET can also be prescribed in sulfa-sensitive patients.

Perhaps you and your doctor can discuss some of these other treatment options for your FM pain so that you can find one that works for you without too many adverse side-effects.
I hope that you can find a way to alleviate some of your stress. If nothing else, you can ALWAYS come to us to vent! We are always here for you.

Peace and Blessings
Saysusie
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Look For The Good and Praise It!